Loose-leaf binder



Dec. 3l, 1946.

A. FREUNDLICH LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed Sept. 28, 1943 l H w|TNEss l ,gwfmmw 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATI'ORN EYS Dec. 31, 1946.

A. FREUNDLICH LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed Sept. 28, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR .Jf/WFQEU Patented Dec. 31, 1946 UNITED STATES' PATENT GFFICE A LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Albert Freundlich, kNew York, N. Y., assignor to Spiral Binding Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 28, 1943, Serial No. 504,093

3 Claims. (Cl. 12B-24) This invention relates to loose-leaf binders and has for its principal object the provision of a simple and inexpensive binder construction for securing together a book of sheets.

Other objects of the invention, as well as the novel features of construction of this improved binder will become apparent after a perusal of the following description, read in connection With the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view'of an open book embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig, 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the central portion of the book with the sheets removed and the ring members unlatched; Fig. 4 is an end elevational View of the parts shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan view of one side.of the binder base member before it is assembled in the book; Fig. 6 is an end view of the base member shown in Fig. and Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the other side of the base member.

In the drawings, the reference numeral I designates generally the base member of the vlooseleaf binder to which the filler rings 2 are movably connected. As is shown more clearly in Figs. 5 to 7, the base member I is composed of two parallelly arranged, spaced strips 3 and 4 which may be made of any suitable material, but are preferably made of an inexpensive material such as cardboard. The strip 4 is wider than the strip 3 so that when the strip 4 is superimposed on the strip /3 in the assembled condition of the parts the outer edge portion of the strip 4 projects beyond the outer edge of the strip 3, as is shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. The two spaced strips 3 and 4 are connected together by a strip 5 of exible material such as, fabric, which, as is shown more clearly in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, has one longitudinal edge adjacent to the outer edge of the cardboard strip 3, spans the space between the strips 3 and 4 and extends around the outer edge of the cardboard strip 4 to terminate along a line extending substantially midway of the width of the strip 4.

The overlying portion 5 of the fabric strip 5 is adhered to the covered top surfaces of the strips 3 and 4 while the turned-in underlying portion 5 of such strip is adhered to the outer under surface portion of the strip 4. The spacing between the strips 3 and 4 is such that when the strip 4 ove'rles the strip 3 with their inner edges in alignment or'ush, as is shown in Fig. 4, the portion of the fabric 5 intermediate such strips 3 and 4 will form together with the inner edges or sides of the strips 3 and 4, a substantially tubular housing adapted to receive the leg por- 2 tions 6 of the ller rings 2. The strips 3 and 4 are maintained in this position by means of the spaced rivet members 1 which extend longitudinally of the binder in spaced relation and which permanently secure the base member to the backing 8 of the book 9.

The filler rings 2 are each formed from a single piece of suitable plastic material which has been bent to provide the two oppositely disposed legs 6, the ller retaining loop I0 and the hook-like portion II provided at the outer end of the-loop Ill. As is shown more clearly in Fig. 3 of the v drawings, the legs 6 of each ller ring 2 are preferably inclined relative to each other so that when the ller ring 2 is opened they are placed under tension through their engagement with the side edges of the strips 3 and 4, thereby tending to snap the ller ring to a .closed position as the latter is closed again. The base of the retaining loops I0 of the ring members 2 extend out through apertures I4 provided in the fabric backing 5 intermediate the strips 3 and 4 at spaced intervals (note Figs. 5 and 7). In the closed position of the ring members 2, the hook-like portions thereof are adapted to interengage with slots I2 provided in the fabric-covered projecting portion of the strip 4. The slots I2 each include an enlarged portion to readily receive the hooked end II of a binder ring and a narrow longitudinally extending portion I3 adapted to cooperate with the hooks I I to lock the ring members 2 in closed position. It will be noted that the enlarged portions of the slots I2 are offset with respect to the openings I4, while the narrow slot-like extensions I3 thereof extend longitudinally of the binder until their closed ends are in substantial registry with the apertures I4. It Will thus be evident that in securing the hooked ends II of the ring members 2 to the base member I the hooked ends are first bent sideways to enable them to readily enter into the enlarged portions of the slots I2 and then are slid along to the ends of the narrow slot portions I3, the inherent resiliency of the ring members 2 aiding in this operation. Thus when the hooks II are beneath the projecting portion of the strip 4 and in engagement with the slots I3, such hooked portions will be automatically locked in position until positively removed therefrom.

It is believed that the operation of the device is self-evident, it being only necessary to disengage the ller rings 2 from the base I by forcing them out of the narrow slot portions I3 towards enlarged portions of the slots I2, then withdrawing them from such enlarged slot portions I2 lforming the top of and swinging them outwardly about their legs 6 to bring them into a position where sheets can readily be removed from or added to such ring members. The rings can thereupon be brought into locked position on the base member in the manner previously described. While the ring members are each made of separate pieces of material, it is obvious that they may be made from a single piece of material so that the portions connecting each ring member Will be positioned in the tubular portion formed by the inner edges of the strips 3 and 4 and the portion of the backing material 5 joining the two strips.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the inven- .tion or the scope of the appended claims,

I claim:

l. A loose-leaf binder comprising a back and covers, an elongated, flat base member secured to said back, a covering of flexible material extending over the upper surfaces of said base member and -around the longitudinal edges thereof to the under surfaces thereof, said covering material being adhered to the upper and under surfaces of said base and along one longitudinal edge thereof being spaced from the latter and spanning the distance between the upper and lower surfaces of said base to provide an elongated opening dened by such longitudinal edge and said portion of the flexible material spanning said edge, a filler carrying member provided with a filler retaining loop and leg portions extending longitudinally of the base member and positioned in said elongated opening alongside said longitudinal edge, said edge spanning portion of the flexible material being provided with an aperture through which the base portion of the loop eX- tends, locking means provided on the outer end of said retaining loop and locking means provided on .the other longitudinal edge of said base member intermediate the top and bottom surfaces thereof and cooperative with said-loop locking means to lock the loop in closed position, said flexible material and said base member lbeing out out inwardly of said base locking means to enable said loop locking means to be placed in interlocking engagement with the base locking means.

2. A loose-leaf binder comprising a back and coversy an elongated, fiat base member secured to said back and composed of an upper portion said member and an under .portion substantially flush along one side with a longitudinal edge of said upper portion and having a surface area less than that of the upperv portion so that the other longitudinal edge of the latter projects beyond said under portion, a covering of flexible material extending over the upper surfaces of said base member and around the longitudinal edges thereof to the under surfaces thereofsaid covering material being adhered to the upper surface of said upper portion, to the under surface of said under portion, to the under surface of the projecting part of said upper portion and along the longitudinal edge of said -base formed by the edges of the lower and upper portions thereof, being spaced from the latter and spanning the distance between the upper surface of said upper portion and the lower surface of said under portion to provide an elongated opening defined by the flush longitudinal edges of said upper and under portions and said portion of the ilexible material spanning said edges, a filler carrying member movably connected to said base member and being provided with a filler retaining loop and leg portions extending longitudinally of the base member and positioned within said elongated opening alongside the longitudinal edge thereof, said edge spanning portion of the flexible material being provided with an aperture through which the base portion of .the loop extends, locking means on the outer end of said retaining loop and on the projecting longitudinal edge of the upper portion for locking the loop in closed position, the flexible and base material of said projecting edge being cut out inwardly of said base locking means .to enable said loop-locking means to be placed in interlocking engagement with the base locking means. r

3. A loose-leaf binder comprising a back and covers, a flat relatively rigid base secured to said back, a flexible covering around said base, means adhesively securing said flexible covering to the upper and under surfaces of said base, said ilexible covering along one longitudinal edge of said base being spaced from the latter and spanning the distance between the upper and lower sur-l faces of said base to provide an elongated opening defined by such longitudinal edge and said4 portion of the flexible material spanning said edge, a ller carrying member movably connected to said base member and being provided with a filler retaining loop and leg portions extending longitudinally of the base member and positioned within said elongated opening alongside said longitudinal edge, said edge spanning portion of the flexible material being provided with an aperture through which extends the base portionsof said loop, and cooperating locking means provided on the outer free edge of said retaining loop and on the other longitudinal edge of said base member for locking the loop in closed position.

ALBERT FREUNDLICH. 

